Texas Craft BBQ Perfection with a Dash of Southern Deliciousness – A Must Visit!

Pitmaster & Chef Marcus

Howdy Chow Hounds!

We discovered something quite special and unique, so we had to share it with the world. This is a restaurant offering multiple delicious features from one location in Arlington, Texas. That’s right – multiple features! Everything is prepared in-house using the freshest, locally sourced ingredients, beef, and fish to create some tasty dishes that are unforgettable.

Welcome to M’Jay’s House of Smoke and TJ’S Catfish and Wings in Arlington, Texas. Located in the middle of the Fort Worth and Dallas metroplex, they’re offering amazing TEXAS CRAFT BBQ, TACOS, CATFISH, CORNBREAD, TEXAS-SIZE STUFFED TATORS, FROZEN COCKTAILS, and MORE. It’s a real treasure for food lovers because there is something for everyone and it’s all simply SCRUMPTIOUS. 

Owned and operated by the Johnsons, a local Arlington, Texas family. Pit-master and Chef Marcus Campbell, Gwen Johnson, and Travis Johnson formed a partnership after Mr. Johnson (Dad) passed away unexpectedly. They wanted to honor his heritage and the restaurant he left behind. They spent some time remodeling and reopened after about four months for expansion and renovation. The rest, they say, is history because they’ve skyrocketed the restaurant to stardom, offering incredible customer service and deliciousness.

The TEXAS BBQ was succulent and loaded with flavor. The brisket was crusted and covered with BARK-O-LICIOUS BARK. The sausage was pure perfection, and the tacos tasted like MORE, because more is all we wanted. An absolutely incredible meal!

Now let’s talk catfish! It was slightly crispy on the outside and succulent on the inside; cooked to GBD #GoldenBrownandDelicious. Oh, and how about the house-prepared HUSH PUPPIES and corn bread? Perfect.

I know you’re already on your way, but if that’s not enough, how about a TEXAS sized baked potato? Two pounds of tater deliciousness. If you don’t desire a tater, then maybe you would love some Brisket Mac-N-Cheese? They also offer wings and you can choose your favorite flavors. They were cooked just the way I like, FLAVORFUL and DELICIOUS.

If you love to eat and you love big portions loaded with deliciousness, you need to head over to TJ’s and M’ Jay’s and Chow Down. They are a new official Trey’s Chow Down Delicious Destination for all food lovers to enjoy. You will Thank me later!

We’re always on the hunt for deliciousness coast to coast so follow our social media platforms for daily updates.

Trey ( Chow Down ) Chapman

Fresh, Phat, Three Headed Monster Two Pound Tater.
Side View – Fresh, Phat, Three Headed Monster Two Pound Tater.
Cheesy, Phat Packed Cheese Steak Sandwich – Dangerously Delicious!
Fresh Fried Catfish with House Made Hushpuppies and Tasty Wings.

The New BRIX Barbecue is Dripp’in with DELICIOUSNESS. A MUST TRY!

Howdy Barbecue Lovers!

I took a ride over to the NEW BRIX Barbecue located on South Main Street in Fort Worth, Texas. I was very impressed with the new operations. All I can say is: ” Pitmaster and owner Trevor Sales has taken the old BRIX Barbecue “From A SMOKESTEAM to a COWTOWN DREAM,” and he’s slang’n meaty deliciousness that everyone will love.

Brix Barbecue Full Video and photos of deliciousness. 

The new building is open with plenty of room and seating. It has a big pitroom, a beautiful dining room, a bar area, outdoor seating, and a stunning patio upstairs overlooking South Main Street that will also have a bar during cooler months of the year. There is a BIG VARIETY of fresh prepared Texas BBQ, creative sides, unique BBQ items, and of course the FAMOUS BRIX FRIED CHICKEN SAMMY with DANK SAUCE. Whatever BBQ you’re dreaming of, Trevor and his culinary team are going to be slang’n it with style and deliciousness.

Fresh BRIX Barbecue Items Featured: Burnt Ends, Brisket, Ribs, Pulled Pork, Fresh House Porchetta, Fresh Barbacoa Taco, Fresh Barbacoa, Brisket Rags, Tallow Beans, and Fried Chicken SAMMY with DANK SAUCE.

Trey’s Favorites: Today, I want to talk about my THREE favorites. The amazing PORKCHETTA that is packed with flavor. It has that magical culinary jungle that everyone is trying to achieve. That little jingle, I like to call “PORK-O-LICIOUSNESS” with every bite. They also have some incredibly flavorful burnt ends that are DRIPP’IN with MEATY deliciousness. If you like sides, the BEANS and the FRESH BRISKET RAGU is simply #StupidDelicious.

If you’re looking for a NEW favorite BBQ joint to visit, that’s a BBQ dreamland. I would highly recommend you check out the NEW BRIX BARBECUE and chow down. It’s a NEW OFFICIALLY APPROVED TREY’S CHOW DOWN DELICIOUS DESTINATION for all BBQ lovers to enjoy.  A Trey’s Chow Down FAVORITE! 😋

The rest of the story:

Homemade smoker, rescued dog, man with a crazy passion for texas style smoked meats = brix barbecue

In 2017, Big Trevor got his first smoker as a birthday gift from his parents after moving to Texas from the Chicago region and falling in love with real Texas Barbecue. He would stay up overnight to barbecue and stumble into work with samples for friends and colleagues. After a few months gone, and a bigger waistline – they convinced him he has what is takes to compete with the ‘big dogs’ in Texas Barbecue. Fast forward to early 2018, when he rescued a Boxer-Terrier mix, Brix, that had such influence on his life, he rebranded and named his barbecue business after him.

Big Trevor is a transplant that has fused his love for food with Central Texas Style Barbecue. Most of the recipes are simple and let the meat shine. There’s nothing to hide, and he’ll share all of his secrets, because the one thing no one can match is his passion for smoking meats to perfection. His love of food comes from his mother, Mama Sales, where her first two ingredients are always butter and love. Big Trevor doesn’t use much butter on his barbecue (the sides are another story), but that first bite of brisket will unveil a great deal of love. Just don’t forget to save the bones for Brix.

Thanks so much and stay hungry my friends!

Trey (Chow Down) Chapman

30 Must Try Restaurants & Food in Dallas & Fort Worth for 2022 (Best Thing I Ate)

Best Thing I Ate On Fox 4 Good Day.

Hello Food and Drink Lovers!

Have you ever taken a bite of something so delicious that you thought to yourself, “I have to tell someone about this!” I’m sure you have because we all feel that way sometimes. It doesn’t matter if it’s savory, sweet, or both, we just want to tell someone about how perfect a dish was. After traveling around in 2021, eating and visiting with chefs and restaurant folks, I had an idea. I wanted to spread a little deliciousness among my friends; I wanted to share with everyone the BEST DISHES I ATE in 2021.

2021 was our most successful year at locating creative chefs and delicious dishes. We traveled through 10 different states, logging our most miles ever and visiting a record number of chefs and restaurants. I wanted to highlight some of the most unique and delicious dishes you should try in 2022.  These are my top restaurants with dishes, and there’s a big variety so there’s something for everyone!

I enjoyed visiting and eating with some of the best chefs and restaurant folks in the business. Each dish has been carefully chosen and is a chef-driven dish prepared by the best! They only use fresh ingredients, vegetables, and spices to create some bold, modern flavor profiles that everyone will love. Most of the eats are simple dishes that are prepared with passion, love, and creativity.  Remember, a simple dish is sometimes the most difficult to facilitate because all parts must be complete perfection. I believe that in most cases simple is better because it gives each ingredient that culinary jingle to create deliciousness.

The 50 Best Burgers in North Texas 2021

Howdy Burger Lovers!

I’m honored to present this year’s BEST burger winners. Any burger on my list is here because they are fresh and delicious. Please support local and try all of these burgers. Below at the end of the blog we created a full color poster of this years winners. You may screen shot from your phone or print it off and plan your BURGER adventures of 2021. By saving our list you will have instance reference for your barbecue cravings. 

WOW! What a year 2020 was for the restaurant, food, and culinary world. In my five decades in the restaurant business, I’ve seen disasters of all types and nothing comes close to the devastating effect Covid-19 had on our economy. Restaurants, chefs, pitmasters, and restauranteurs had to make big changes if they wanted to survive the pandemic. Nationwide, we lost over 251,000 restaurants forever and 2.5 million restaurant jobs at the latest estimate. The good thing is that NOW we are on the mend and the Texas economy is in full giddy-up mode! This is why it’s so important to support local restaurants to keep us in giddy-up mode.

Even though things were crazy due to Covid-19 we still worked hard reporting on food and hunting down the best burgers we could locate in North Texas. The pandemic allowed us plenty of extra time to chow down on some tasty burgers; it also allowed burger creators time to come up with some new delicious and creative burgers for all of us to enjoy. If you follow me, you know how much I enjoy a great and tasty burger.  This is our seventh year for the BEST BURGER contest in Texas and I’m excited to tell everyone about my delicious burger discoveries.

Did you know that burgers are one of the most sought-after sandwiches in the world? The burger business is crazy in the U.S.A. I don’t have the newly updated numbers of burgers sold in 2020 during the pandemic (and it would be an oddly skewed amount), so we are using the last updated numbers. A national research company states that we sell 6.48 million burgers a day, and around 75 burgers a second! What? Yes, 75 burgers a second! This roughly breaks down as 4,500 burgers every minute, 270,000 every hour, 6.48 million a day, and 2.36 billion burgers a year. A worldwide research study states we sell 50 billion a year worldwide. 50 Billion a year that to me is shocking, but I know how many folks just love a succulent, savory, and delicious burger.

Unique Texas-Size Shareable Dishes

Wow, what a year 2020 was for the restaurant and service industry, and not in a good way. Thank goodness it’s over and we can move on down the road.

If you follow me then you know I’m extremely passionate about food, drink, creative chefs, awesome service folks, and the restaurants and grub pubs that host us. Last July I started pondering on what I could do to help support local restaurants, chefs, and the service industry. Something that was different, exciting and fun!  I wanted to create something special that hadn’t been tried before. After tossing a few ideas around, the big light in the oven came on, and there it was, swirling around in my brain like berries in a blender. A fantastic and outrageous idea!

I created an outrageous, Texas-sized over-the-top menu full of unique, creative, colorful, delicious, and some massive dishes. These dishes would have to be Chef-driven, very large, creative, and delicious. A few are just simply unique but also delicious. True foodies and couples will love these dishes. They can be shared, used as food challenges, or just eaten because you love food. Whatever the reason, this menu sparks your foodie senses and will make you want to take a trip straight to Delicious-Ville. #Deliciousville

I got together with ten North Texas chefs to discuss my ideas, and some of those chefs even created new and special dishes just for the new Trey’s Chow Down Menu. I also located dishes that had already been created but would fit with the new menu. We have everything from breakfast to dinner;  Burgers, BBQ, Seafood, Steaks, and more!

I made trips all over North Texas and tried every single dish myself. I watched the dishes being created and then I chowed down like a pig at the trough. What I ended up with was some unbelievably amazing dishes that are not only delicious and creative, but they are memorable as well. Dishes you can’t and won’t forget!

When you see these dishes, they are visually R.I.D.I.C.U.L.O.U.S! Every single person will say something like, “OMG, WTH Is That!” Believe me – I know because that’s all I’ve heard for the last eight months while working on this new menu.

Bacon Dishes that Make Me Bacon Crazy!

Saturday, September 4, is International Bacon Day 2021

Everyone dreams about bacon!

Trey’s Chow Down LIVE on Fox 4 Good Day.

When Trey’s Chow Down saw there was an International Bacon Day and it was a real thing my mouth started salivating and all I could think about was how delicious bacon truly is.

Have you ever eaten a bad piece of bacon? I think not! No matter how it’s cooked, (soft, crispy, medium, or rock hard) bacon is always perfectly delightful.

Ever since 1500 B.C. folks have been eating and enjoying bacon. That’s a long time ago, but it just goes to show you how much everyone loves bacon.

Bacon’s history dates back thousands of years to 1500 B.C. The Chinese were curing pork bellies with salt. Basically, they were creating an early form of what we know today as bacon.

I’m shocked about how long ago bacon was being eaten and was created. I wonder how the first bacon fry went down. Here piggy piggy! Come here piggy piggy! Come over here let’s see if we can fry some of your body parts up? Seems legit to me lol!

Now that I’m thinking about it, I bet they could smell bacon frying a mile away and come strolling by to see what that delicious aroma was. I’m sure smelling that bacon for the first time set their foodie senses into overdrive. Well, of course, they didn’t call it bacon at that time but we will play along as if they did.

The first bacon fry must have not only been a mess, but also an exploration to try and figure out how to eat these creatures we call pigs. You know it smelled delicious and they were like, “YES that smells soooooo good”!

Today we have all kinds of various bacon flavors, thickness, bacon dishes, and bacon farmers who create some of the world’s best bacon right here in the good ol’ U.S.A.

When I spoke with the Fox producers about Bacon Day, it was clear that everyone loved bacon and we need to locate some of the best bacon dishes in the DFW area.

I sought out to locate some of the best bacon dishes for all my fellow food lovers to enjoy and boy… Did I find some great dishes to eat. If you love bacon you will love this article and my choices.

B&B Butchers

( The Cover Photo)

Fort Worth & Houston, Texas

Knife Steakhouse Bacon Sampler

B&B has this amazing bacon dish named after Chef Tommy. Let me tell you, “Chef Tommy’s Bacon Dish” is loaded with flavors. When I read about this dish, I had to visit B&B so I could Chow Down and enjoy it for myself. It’s prepared with fresh blue cheese, truffle infused honey, and thick house bacon. This dish meets all the requirements for an award winning dish. The taste has an amazing flavor profile, tenderness, cooked perfectly, great texture, and fantastic eye appeal. One of the best bacon dishes anywhere, period! You need to try this dish, and it’s only 20 bucks.

Knife Steakhouse

Dallas & Plano, Texas

Chef John Tesar always has his creative side in forward motion. I haven’t had one dish, or food item, from John that’s not totally amazing. He’s crazy about using fresh ingredients, having perfect execution, pallet busting flavor profiles, fantastic restaurant atmospheres, and amazing customer service. The Knife bacon appetizer, simply put, is deliciousness with every single bite. The succulent variety of bacon is so flavorful you will order an extra one. I know it because we did it. The dish is simplistic. A tasting of five varieties of bacon and it’s served on a beautiful wood cutting board. It is truly life-changing and you need this dish in your life.

Sugarbacon Proper Kitchen

McKinney, Texas

Del Frisco’s Bacon Dish

Oh, I love me some Sugarbacon! You’re probably saying to yourself, what the heck is Sugarbacon? Well, it’s two things really; A fantastic restaurant and a delicious lip-smacking bacon dish. The team over at Sugarbacon in McKinney have come up with a flavor-packed bacon dish that will send your taste buds to the flavor town. It’s truly an opportunity to try something new and exciting. The “Sugarbacon Appetizer” is prepared with house-smoked pork belly, ancho chili bbq sauce, B and B pickles, and served on thick bacon square bites. I’m telling you right now it has a fantastic flavor profile and is downright delicious. Folks, it is absolutely worth a trip to Chow Down and see what Sugarbacon is all about.

Cowtown Brewing Company

Fort Worth, Texas

I drove by this place at least 25 times before I stopped into Chow Down. I had heard all about their flavor-packed barbecue treats, but I kept waiting to see some photos and reviews before I made the journey because I’ve been extremely busy. That was a mistake!  We stopped in and had a variety of delicious BBQ treats but what really caught my eye was the “Bacon Wrapped Jalapeños.” I eat these all the time but Cowtown’s were different. They were wrapped tightly and the bacon was glazed just enough. Damn, they were delicious so flavorful that I ate 5 out of the 6 and we ordered some more for the whole table. They really were amazing. When you get a chance, head over to Cowtown for little bacon throw down. Tell’em Trey sent you!

Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse

Locations All Over U.S.A.

I have to confess something to each of you. I’ve had dreams about the bacon dish at Del’s. Oh man, there’s nothing like naughty bacon dreams folks. It’s the THICK-CUT NUESKE’S BACON AU POIVR served with a Bourbon Molasses Glaze and a side of deliciousness. Oh, the food gods are shining down on Del Frisco’s for this bacon dish! By all means, this is so good it should be illegal. The succulent bacon flavor just rolls across your tongue and sends your taste buds into full mode overload. Don’t be surprised if you have to wipe your chin after each juicy bite. A true trend sitter and it’s only 16 bucks, ladies and gentlemen.

Logan’s Roadhouse

Multiple Texas Locations

I know you’re thinking… What did he just say? Logan’s Roadhouse? Am I reading this correct? Yes, you are! This is all about bacon and Logan’s Roadhouse locations has some great bacon. They have a little appetizer that goes by the name “Bacon On A Stick” and it’s in a bucket too. I’ve had this twice and both times the bacon was perfectly cooked, loaded with flavor, and easy to eat right off the stick. This is a great little bacon treat you will love. It’s prepared from 12-hour smoked bacon seasoned and grilled in a brown sugar glaze with a kick of spice. Served with crispy fried onions and your choice of original BBQ or Bourbon BBQ. Just damn delicious if you ask me. Your taste buds with take a trip to the “bacon flavor rodeo” and it’s only 10 bucks. Check it out!

Shady Oak BBQ & Grill

North Fort Worth, Texas

My favorite Bacon “TENDER BELLY”

I took a trip over the Shady Oak to try some barbecue. As I sat down and was reviewing the menu when the server said, “Hey, do you want to try some of our bacon burnt ends“? My head snapped up and said, “Do tell? Why yes I will”! Those bacon burnt ends were saucy and mouth-watering delicious. The flavor really pops in your mouth as they roll across your tongue. This is a dish you must try and price right too!

There are a lot more bacon dishes I have tried, but these are truly some of the best you will find in the Fort Worth/Dallas area. All of these truly stand on their own with fantastic flavor profiles that will leave you wanting more. As a chef once told me, “Trey, if I can leave you wanting more then I’ve done my job. I know you will come back and dine with us again”.

Please visit these local restaurants because eating and buying local is extremely important to our chefs and restaurants.

If you LOVE cooking bacon at home then I would try my favorite Tender Belly Bacon. You can locate Tender Belly at https://www.tenderbelly.com

Don’t forget to listen or watch our worldwide podcast Trey’s Chow Down Live every Friday on iHeartRadio, iTunes, Dash Radio or tune and watch us LIVE.

Remember, I’m passionate about bringing each of you the very food and drink experiences I can find.

Much love,

Trey Chapman Follow me for deliciousness and fun

 

BBQ, Whiskey, and Sweets OH My!

Tasty Craft Cocktails!

I got invited to a V.I.P. barbecue and whiskey dinner last Thursday night at Barrel and Bones in Fort Worth, just off of West 7th Street.

When I answered the phone, all I heard was two words; Bar-be-que and Whis-key!

You never have to ask me twice when there is beef and whiskey involved. Especially when it’s craft Texas whiskeys and cocktails served up with big phat slabs of beef, smoked turkey, smoked wings, fried deviled eggs, and fried poblano corn Fritters. Yea I bet I have your attention now, don’t I?

So there I was sitting in Barrel and Bones in Fort Worth salivating over smoked meats, tasty whiskey, and fried deliciousness.

The aromas coming from the kitchen were almost too much for this cowboy to handle. I was ready to pounce on some deliciousness and start slinging back some whiskey.

The barbecue and kitchen team at Barrel and Bones has done a great job at creating some amazing flavor profiles for all to enjoy.

Nashville Chicken in Texas, Say Whaaat?

When you think of Nashville hot chicken, all kinds of delicious thoughts come to find. Just think of crispy fried hot chicken dripping with delicious savory flavors that make you foodie senses run wild.

Choose YOUR Heat ( Texas Hot )

Nashville hot chicken has skyrocketed in popularity in the last two decades. I use the term “skyrocketed”, but really I think it’s been more like a supersonic ride.

If you don’t know what Nashville hot chicken consists of, then you must be a vegan or vegetarian, because these days it’s everywhere!

The origins of Nashville hot chicken are simple; it was created in the south Nashville back around 1930. In the 1970s, the new addition was created by using a different array of peppers and served with slices of white bread.

If you research the definition it’s a pretty basic explanation;

“Hot chicken, or Nashville hot chicken, is a type of fried chicken that is a local specialty of Nashville, Tennessee, in its typical preparation, it is a portion of breast, thigh, or wing that has been marinated in a water-based blend of seasoning, floured, fried, and finally sauced using a paste that has been spiced with cayenne pepper. It is served atop slices of white bread with pickle chips. It is both the application of a spicy paste and the presentation that differentiates it from similar dishes, such as Buffalo wings. It can be viewed in similar context to other foods that have been tweaked to be unique in a regional way, such as the slugburger or the Mississippi Delta tamale.”